Piano-playing guide



ou. -25, 1921.. G. F. Bum 646 5.14

PIANO PLAYING GUIDE Filed Nov 22, 1926 Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

,UNlTEDi-STATES,

eEonGE E. Buzzle., or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PIANO-PLAYING GUIDE.

Application filed November 22, 1926. Serial 126,149,978.

My present invention has for its object to provide a new article of manufacture in the nature of a piano-playing guide for children that is practical, instructive and educational, as well as amusing and entertaingSa-idarticle comprises a sheet adapted to be placed on the keys of the key board of a `piano and has an upright background on which are words, preferably those of a Mother Goose rhyme or a nursery rhyme, separated into syllables and each syllable having a key designator arranged. in order representing a melody to be played on the piano. As a guide for a child to pick out the proper keysvon the piano to play the melody, said sheet is provided with finger openings exposing portions of the' underly- Aing white keys, and key indicators for said vfinger openings.` To yproperly position the sheet on the key board with the linger openings over thewhite key for which they are designated, said sheet is provided with openings for certain of the black keys to lit the sheet'therearound.

` To play a melody on the piano represented 'by the key designatorsfor the different syllables of the words, a child, observing the` key designatorfor the firstsyllable of the words, associates it with the corresponding key indicator on the sheet, and d'epresses the underlying white key to sound the'proper note.l This action is repeated until all of the keys have been depressed in the order of the key designators for the different syllables of the words.- v

Another important feature -of the article isr the fact that the words or rhyme are illustrated on the background 'of the article in full colors, thereby visualizing for the child the idea o r thought expressed therein. -F urthermore, to increase the attractiveness of the article, the background' thereof is'given the same outline as the illustration thereon and the sheet is outlined to represent the underlying keys.

The new article of manufacture is illustrated in the single perspective view of the accompanying drawinor which also diagram- `matically illustrates, 2:by means of broken lines, the key board of a piano The numerals l and 2 indicate, respectively, the white and black keys of the key board of a piano, and the numeral 3 indicates the back board thereof, all of which are diagrammatically illustrated `by means of broken lines.

The new article of manufacture comprises, as shown, a cardboard sheet 4l tht `is preferably cloth lined and longitudinally vscored at 5 andA 6. Said sheet 4is adapted to be placed on the keys of the key board with its front longitudinal edge portion turned down at the score 5 to afford a stiff flap i7 thatY overlaps the front ends of the respective white keys l. This sheet 4 is also turned up at the score 6 to afford a background 8. Longitudinal openings 9 are formedv in the sheet 4 for the black keys 2 to fit said sheet therearound and position the sheet on the key board, as will hereinafter appear.

Finger openings 10 are formed in the sheet 4, have the same spacing as the white keys l.- and expose the underlying white keys. As shown, there are eight of these finger openingsfor onej octave of the piano and have individual key indicators 1lA in the form of the numerals-1 to 8, inclusive, that'appear on thesheet '4; close to said finger openings. Said sheet 4 and its flap 7 are outlined `to represent the 'underlying whitekeys l. I v Printed on the'background 8 istheiMother vGroose .rhyme Twinkle, twinkle little star and indicated by the numeral 12, Aand -the words thereof are separatedinto syllables,

Vand each syllable given a key designatorl.

The key designators 13 arethesame'nu- -inerals as the key indicators ll, and are arranged in -order representing the melody to be played by the white keys 1 designated by the indicators ll.- f f The background 8 is illustrated--infull colors around the rhyme' l2 to visualize-the `thought or idea expressed by said rhyme( Said background 8 has the same outline as the illustration thereon. j

To play the melody expressed by the key designators 13 the child first observes the key designator l over the syllable Twin of the rhyme, associates it with the key indicator l and depresses the underlying white key through the respective finger opening l0 to sound the correct note. He then observes the key designator 3 over the neXt syllable kle7 and depresses the white key exposed through t-he finger opening l0 at the key indicator 3? and so on untilV he has played the entire melody.

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Q l f y 1,646,574

By providing the sheet 4 With the openings 9 for the black keys 2 to iit .said sheet therearound, the article is positively and accurately positioned on the keys of the key board with its finger .openings lO posi? tioned over the White keys indicated by the numerals l to 8, inclusive. The scored lines 5 and 6 act as hinges to permit the article to be foldedflat. When the article is ap.-

fi plied to the key board, the background 8 is held in ,an uprightv position by the back board 3. What4 I claim is:

LA new article of manufacture comprisa sheet adapted to .be placed on the keyboard-ot a piano to cover certain of the White keys and provided with linger openings having the saine spacing as the White keys .and :exposing the saine.

2. The larticle'defined in claiin l in .which :the finger .openings have key indicators,

and 'in Which .the sheet has means by which, Lwhen said lsheet is placed on the keyboard, it Wiill positionthefinger openings over the White :keysdesignated :by the key indicators.

.3. The Aarticle rdeined iin claiin l in which the finger openings have key indicators, and ill 'Wliidh the Sheet iS vadapted to ybe litted over A certain iO the Llalack keys rto position the sheet with the iinge-ropenings over the White keys designated nby the key indicators.

4, VThe article vdefined inl claim l in which the sheet is out-lined to represent the underlyingwliite keys 5. The article defined in claim 1 in Which :the finger openings have key indicators, and in which the sheet vis provided with black key openings which fit the sheet there- @911151, :and yposititni the `saine with the 'finger openings 4over the White keys desigvested hy the :key indi@atorsf I6. The article ilelined in claim l in which the Sheet at fits iront longitudinal edgey por- .tion has a r,depending ,flap overlapping the .respective end portions of the White keys. 7. A new ar-ticle of manufacture coinpris- Qing a. Isheet adapted to placed on 4the keyboard of a piano with pontions oi' the underlying White keys Yexposed and having `key `indicators Vtor the underlying White keys, and .words onv the sheet having key .desig- -nators larranged in yorder representing "a melody to be played Lon the White keys designated by said indicators.

8. The varticle delined in claim 7 in which the key indicators and key designators have Athe saine characters.

y,9. The article 4delinedin claim 7 in which the sheet has a background adapted to be placed in an. upright position at the back of the keyboard and on'which said Words appear. j

l0. The articledetined in claim 7 in which the syllables of the Words are separated, and each having one of the key designators.

ll. The article ,defined in `claiin 7 in which the, background of the sheet is illustrated to visualize the :thought or idea expressed by the words. Y

1Q. The article Adefined in ,claim 7 in which the background of the sheet is illustrated .to .visualize the though or ideav expressed by the words, ,and inWhic-h the outline ,of the background corresponds to the illustration thereof.

13. The article 4defined in claim 7 in which the sheet is vprovided ywith ,openings `for the black keys to lit the sheet therearound, and position the saine with the finger openings over the ,White keys .designated by the key indicators.

14. A new article oft manufacture `coni- .prising a sheet adapted to kbe placed on the keyboard of a piano and having linger .openings exposingportions of the underlying white keys and also having .key .indicators furthe finger openings, said sheet having an Vupright background and `Opeiiiiig/S idr' :the black keys to fittheshet therearoiind and position the saine With the linger ,openings lover the White keys designated tby `said in- `dicators,Words Aonthe background with the syllables `separated and l.each ,syllable having Va key designatolr, the key designators being :arranged in order representing a melody to be played .on the White ,keys designated ,by Saidr indicators, said key indicators and .ke designators having ,the vlsame characters, sai background being illustrated t0 visualize .the

Athought or idea expressed by said words.

15. The article defined in yelaine .14 lin ,which the kSiieetnliis .d .depending ddp far- ,ranged to extend in ,front of the White keys.

1.6. Thev Aarticle defined in claim 1 4 in jwhich lthe sheet has aV depending flap V4arranged to .entend in lfront ,of .the vWhite keys,

said sheet tlapand background being adapted to be vfolded tiat.

In testimonyvvhereot I affix .my signature.

GEORGE E. BUZZA. 

